Renting an Apartment in Japan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Renting an Apartment in Japan - Assignment Example Be prepared to put down about five to seven month’s worth of rent up front. This is standard. The deposit is composed of the following: †¢ Reservation fee (tetsukekin) – 1 month’s rent paid when the tenant applies for an apartment and before the contract is signed. After the contract is signed, the money is included as part of the deposit. †¢ Security Deposit (shikikin) – 2 to 3 months’ rent used to cover eventual damage to the apartment or unpaid rents and fees. It is seldom that this is refunded in full (alterations to the property are one of the thorniest issues between landlords and tenants). It is refunded without interest. †¢ Key money (reikin) – 1 to 2 months’ rent a â€Å"gift† to the house owner when making a contract and is not refundable †¢ Advance rent – 1 month’s rent the rent should be paid before the start of the month Fourth,If you are a foreignor, be sure to have a guarantor and proper identification. (Passports and Non-japanise licences are useless). A guarantor is also required before a contract is signed. Usually, it is the tenant’s company or a wealthy Japanese. The guarantor takes the responsibility if the tenant is unable to pay the rent or room expenses. ("Japanese landlords get key money")One of the very real obstacles is that many landlords will simply refuse to rent to foreigners, even if they speak Japanese fluently and can make all arrangements in Japanese. I've heard many different excuses for this, such as ''The landlord can't speak English,'' ''Foreigners have loud parties,''. ''Foreigners' food smells different and the neighbors might be bothered by it,'' (Jay). Japanese use the phrase hikoshi-bimbo to describe someone who recently moved into a new apartment. Literally translating as 'moving poor,' hikoshi-bimbo describes the state of having to fork over six months' salary for the privilege of renting a new apartment. (Renting an Apartment in Japan) Fifth: Register your new address with local authorities at the local city hall or ward office. They will write the new address information on the back of your Alien Registration Card. A word of warning on finding your apartment. Don't be hasty in selecting your apartment. Take your time and make a good selection. Paying key money once is pretty tough, paying twice is a financial disaster. Sixth: Don't expect the rental contract to be in English, so bring a Japanese friend to help you with understanding its terms and conditions. Seventh: If you're making a higher salary, you may save on taxes by arranging for your employer to pay your rent as a "housing allowance." US citizens working in Japan are allowed to receive very generous housing allowances which are not counted as income for US tax purposes. Check the IRS website or talk to your lawyer or accountant. (Jay) Eighth: If you get an indefinite term for your lease, your landlord has almost no way to kick you out so long as you are paying your rent.

Soviet Union Involvement in Afghanistan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Soviet Union Involvement in Afghanistan - Essay Example This was how the relationship between the two countries began which was to leave a long lasting impact on both the countries. This association saw periods of ups and downs. There were times when there were strong links between the two countries and there were also times when nothing significant happened for years (Freedman, 1991). Afghanistan was a newly born state and at this time it needed assistance and help from its neighbors and this backing was provided to it by the Soviet Union. In the time period from 1919 up to 1929 the relations between the two countries were very friendly and they moved at a swift pace. Technicians and trained personnel flew in from the Soviet Union to build the infrastructure in Afghanistan and also to improve the communication systems which included railways, roads, telegraph and telephone. Students were given chances to pursue their studies in the Soviet Union and training was provided for army personnel. Before independence the afghan market was mainly governed by all the goods from England but now there was inflow of commodities from the Soviet Union as well. Many such developments were not very much liked by the English and they wanted the government of King Amanullah to end. At the same time though the king had done all these developments for the betterment of the country an d with a good will but he had not considered the other factions of his country like the tribes and the religious segments. This led to the toppling of his government and Nader Shah took over the country in 1929.In 1929 and the years that were to follow there were no links between the two countries so this era might be termed as the black era. There were a few talks between the two countries but these were of the least importance. Afghanistan might have maintained this state of neutrality because of the Second World War and as both the Indian subcontinent and the Soviet Union were involved in it and they were both opponents in the war. After the world war the next issue that came up was the independence of India and Pakistan from the British colonial rule. After the independence of these countries there was strong impact on Afghanistan which led to the change in the governance in the country and marshal shah Mahmud became the prime minister of the country in 1933. Marshal Shah Mahmud's government was more willing to take assistance from the United States than the Soviet Union. They asked for backing from the United States and in return offering to them contracts and deals. The American government did not give any response to their offer. In 1951 marshal Shah Mahmud made a personal request to President Truman and he was again disappointed because he did not get any positive answer. Still marshal shah Mahmud was not willing to take assistance from the soviet and when he was asked by a group of reporters that would he ask the soviet union for help, he replied: "Muslims are forbidden to eat pork, except when a Muslim is dying of hunger!" Shah Mahmud was replaced by prince Daoud. Again the prince made one final attempt to ask for help from the United States but this attempt also proved to be unsuccessful because the United States put a condition on Afghanistan to part its way from the Baghdad Pact. After this last try a General Meeting was